什么是双相情感障碍?

双相情感障碍是一种情绪障碍. It causes a person to have cycles of extreme mood changes that go beyond normal ups and downs. A person with this disorder will have periods of feeling joyful, 精力充沛, 兴奋(称为狂躁). These are followed by periods of feeling sad and depressed. 因此，它也被称为躁狂抑郁症.

抑郁会影响你的身体、情绪和思想. It also affects how you eat and sleep, think about things, and feel about yourself. 这和不开心或心情低落是不一样的. It’s not a sign of weakness or a condition that can be willed away. 治疗往往是必要的，也是康复的关键.

双相情感障碍影响男女人数相等. But women tend to have more symptoms of depression than of mania. This disorder often begins in the teens or early adulthood.

双相情感障碍的成因?

双相情感障碍的病因尚不清楚. 专家们一致认为，似乎有许多因素在起作用. This includes environmental, psychological, and genetic factors.

双相情感障碍倾向于家族遗传. 研究ers are still trying to find genes that may be linked to it.

双相情感障碍的症状是什么?

每个人可能有不同的症状. 以下是最常见的症状:

抑郁 症状可能包括:

• 持续的悲伤、焦虑或空虚的情绪

• Loss of interest in things that you once enjoyed, including sex

• 感到不安或易怒

• 不能集中注意力、不能思考或不能做决定

• 精力不足，疲劳，速度变慢

• Keep having thoughts of death or suicide, wishing to die, or attempting suicide (注意: 有这种症状的人应该立即接受治疗。

• 感觉毫无价值或绝望

• 感到过度内疚

• 饮食习惯的改变，吃得太多或不够

• 睡眠模式的改变, 比如断断续续的睡眠, 无法入睡, 起得很早, 或者睡得太多

• 头痛、消化问题或慢性疼痛

躁狂 症状可能包括:

• 膨胀的自尊心

• 需要较少的休息和睡眠

• 容易分心或易怒

• 赛车的想法

• 物理搅拌

• 冒险的、侵略性的或破坏性的行为

• 说得多，说得快

• 过度兴奋或欣快的感觉(感觉过度快乐)

• 性欲增强

• 提高能源

• Unusual poor judgment (for instance, buying sprees or sexual indiscretion)

• 增加了否认

如何诊断双相情感障碍?

To diagnose bipolar, your healthcare provider will ask about your symptoms. You may have both depressive and manic symptoms to a varying degree. The symptoms of bipolar disorder may look like other mental health conditions.

一定要去看医疗保健提供者进行诊断. A diagnosis is made after a careful psychiatric exam and medical history done by a mental health professional.

如何治疗双相情感障碍?

There is no cure for bipolar disorder, but treatment works well for many people. Treatment may include one or a combination of the following:

• 医学. Many different medicines are available for bipolar disorder. But, it often takes 4 to 6 weeks for anti-depressants to have a full effect. So it’s important to keep taking the medicine, even if it doesn’t seem to be working at first. It’s also important to talk to your healthcare provider before stopping. Some people have to switch medicines or add medicines to get results.

• 治疗. This is most often cognitive-behavioral or interpersonal therapy. It focuses on changing the distorted views you have of yourself and your environment. It works to improve your interpersonal relationship skills. It also helps you identify stressors and learn how to manage them.

• 电休克疗法(ECT). 这种治疗方法可用于严重的, life-threatening depression that has not responded to medicines. A brief electrical current is passed through the brain, triggering a mild seizure. 原因不明, this helps restore the normal balance of chemicals in the brain and ease symptoms.

In most cases, consistent, long-term treatment is needed to stabilize the mood swings.

自我保健

你也可以采取措施帮助自己. 在抑郁期间，考虑以下几点:

• 得到帮助. If you think you may be depressed, see a health professional right away.

• 设定现实的目标，不要承担太多.

• 把大任务分成小任务. 设定优先级，尽你所能去做.

• 试着和别人在一起，向别人倾诉. 这通常比独处和遮遮掩掩要好.

• 做一些让你感觉更好的事情. Going to a movie, gardening, or taking part in religious, social, or other activities may help. Doing something nice for someone else can also help you feel better.

• 定期锻炼.

• 期待你的心情慢慢好转，而不是马上. 感觉好起来需要时间.

• 吃健康、均衡的食物.

• 避免酒精和毒品. 这些会使抑郁症恶化.

• It’s best to postpone big decisions until the depression has lifted. 在做出重大决定(换工作)之前, 结婚或离婚), discuss it with others who know you well and have a more objective view of your situation.

• 人是不会从抑郁中恢复过来的. But with treatment they can feel a little better day by day.

• 试着保持耐心，关注积极的一面. This may help replace the negative thinking that is part of the depression and the negative thoughts will disappear as your depression responds to treatment.

• 让你的家人和朋友帮助你.

要点

• Bipolar disorder causes cycles of extreme mood changes that go beyond life's regular ups and downs. 治疗是康复的关键.

• 双相情感障碍没有明确的病因. Mental health experts think it’s a result of chemical imbalances in the brain. It seems to run in families, but no genes have yet been linked to it.

• 它会导致不寻常的情绪波动. A person will have periods of extreme joy, elevated mood, or irritability (called mania). 这随着抑郁期的变化而变化.

• Bipolar disorder may be diagnosed after a careful psychiatric exam and medical history done by a mental health professional.

• It is most often treated with medicine, therapy, or a combination of both.

下一个步骤

Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider:

• Know the reason for your visit and what you want to happen.

• 在拜访之前，写下你想要回答的问题.

• Bring someone with you to help you ask questions and remember what your provider tells you.

• At the visit, write down the name of a new diagnosis, and any new medicines, treatments, or tests. Also write down any new instructions your provider gives you.

• Know why a new medicine or treatment is prescribed, and how it will help you. 还要知道副作用是什么.

• 询问你的病情是否可以用其他方法治疗.

• Know why a test or procedure is recommended and what the results could mean.

• Know what to expect if you do not take the medicine or have the test or procedure.

• If you have a follow-up appointment, write down the date, time, and purpose for that visit.

• Know how you can contact your provider if you have questions.